Plating-machine.



L. SCHULTE.

PLATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. I913.

PatentedSept. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. SCHULTE- wmms MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 23. 1913. 1,15,,U. Patented Sept. 28, 1915;.

2 SHEETS SH EET 2.

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LOUIS SGI-IULTE, Oli CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRO CHEMICAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PLATING-MAGHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2e. ieis.

Application filed July 23, 1913. Serial No. 780,746.

all '11]: am it may concern: Be it known that I, Louis ScnUL'rE, a minzen of the United States, residing at Chr cage, in the county of Cook and State of.

Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Plating-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to plating machines and has for its object the provision of a machine which may be advantageously used for theplating of sheets, bars, tubes or other sections of such a character.

My invention is of such a character that the apparatus carf'be readily utilized to perform various cleaning, plating, washing and drying operations on devices above set forth in a most expeditious manner.

In one form of my invention to accom-- plish this result, I provide a carrier which can be successively inserted into a plurality of tanks, thus to perform the operations above outlined.

My invention contemplates further the continual movement of the device while in any given tank, the carrier apparatus being of such construction that when revolving in one given direction of rotation, it will continually rotate the devices, thus changing their position, while when being rotated in the opposite direction it will discharge the devices after the completion of the operations referred to.

In the description herein and in the claims I will use the Word tube as covering any bars, sheets or other devices to be plated, as the action of my machine would of course be the same irrespective of the oross-section ofthe devices utilized.

My machine also is of such a character that the tubes are slid lengthwise in the with my improved plating device; Fig. 2

isa-sectionaljview on line a-a of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 1s a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the full width of a tank; Fig. 4 is a detail of the carrier elements, and Fig. 5 is a detail of construction.-

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, I

show a. series of tanks 1, 2, 8, 4 and 5, of which tank 1, for instance, may bean acid pickling tank; tank 2 may-be a cold water washing tank; tank 3 maybe an electro cleaning tank, tank 4 may be an electric galvanizing tank, and tank 5 may be a hot water washing tank. A chute 6 leads away from tank 5 to receive tubes that have been fully treated.

My improved device shown generally at 7 in F ig, 1 is removable from a tank, to be deposited successively into the tanks shown, for which purpose (Fig. 3) a track consisting of the rails 8, 8- is provided with a traveler 9 having chains 10, 10 to raise the said device 7 and lower it in carrying it from one tank to the next. The complete structure 7 includes a rotatable shaft '11 12 and 13, bearings 12 being on one side of the tank, and bearings 13 on the other, bearings 13 being higher than'the bearings 12 so as to tilt the shaft and consequently the structure, and permit the tubes to slide lengthwise as the device is being rotated; The shaft 11 carries two worm wheels 14 and 15, the worm wheel 14 being adapted to engage worms 16 Whenever said device is placed into the tanks 1, 2, 3 or 4, and the worm wheel 15 being adapted to engage the Worm 17 whenever the structure is mounted in tank 5. A driving shaft 18 suitably driven by means of the pulley l9 and belt 20 causes the rotation of the worms 16 and a countershaft 21 through the interposition of the gears'22 and.23, causes the worm 17 to revolve in the opposite direction.

In view of this construction the plating device 7 rotates say clockwise when in the tanks 1, 2, 3 and 4, and rotates in acontraclockwise direction when in the tank 5, or

constructed preferably of channel irons having-openings26 therein to accommodate the teeth of the gear 24. These annular chane nels 25 are mounted upon carrier plates 26" consisting preferably an a central metallic.

ring 27-.and'outer rings28, 28 ofinsulating 1.1

material. These individual carriers consisting of the elements 27 and 28 are then cut out to form bent retainers 29 as more clearly shown in Fig. 4. Rods 30 fixedly secured to end rings 31 pass through the carriers 26 and hold them by means of pins 32 against lateral displacement.

around, and thus immerses one of the fin-' gers 29 after the other to thereby bring the tubes 33 successively into the solution and out of. it, at the same time rotating these tubes, as will be readily apparent from an inspection of the illustration thereof in Fig. 4. So long as the device is rotating in the direction of the. arrow shown in Fig. 4, the

tubes-cannot fall away from their inclosing fingers.- The tubes may be inserted of course at any point on top' of this structure to the left of the center line of Fig. 4. Now when ,the structure however is in the last tank ,5, the device is rotated oppositely to that shown in Fig. 4, and it will be readily apparent that then the tubes would leave the device somewhere nearthe point marked 34 a -to be'caught by the chute 6. The end plates 31 are preferably further apart than the greatest length of the tubes to be used, and

it will thus be seen that as the structure is tilted asshown in Fig. 3 as the device is being rotated,the tubeswhich ordinarily touch the left hand end plate 31 will gradually slide downwardly to engage the right hand end i plate 31, thus to insure plating the entire when the structure is lifted from one tank area of these tubes. Now the traveler 9 is so arranged that the right hand chain 10 is shorter than the left hand chain 10 and thus into the succeeding tank, the device is tilted oppositely to that shown in Fig. 3, and thereupon the tubes 'which then .rengagethe right hand end plate 31 slide backwardly to engage theleft hand end plate 31, before being immersed in the next tank so that the sliding action in this following tank may again take place. In this manner the structure is carried successively from one tank into'the next until finally when it reaches tank 5, the direction of rotation is changed to permit the tubes to be'discharged from the machines. -The tanks may of course,- when necessary, be provided with a plural- I ity of anodes 35 for purposes of plating or pickling as the case may be.

They can be supplied in the usual manner.

It will of course be understood that when current is used in any of the tanks the tubes may form the cathode for instance, being in electrical connection with the element 27 which through-- the interposition of the gear 24 is in electrical connection with the shaft 11, and thereby the bearing 12 to which one terminal of the'source of current may be attached, the other terminal being attached to the anode 35. The tanks in such cases of course would contain electrolyte.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the tubes 33 as they are being carried by the fingers 29 finally reach such a point where these tubes drop from the edge of these fingers as these carriers rotate. This dropping, however does not permit the tubes to fall away from the carrier, but merely to drop upon another portion of the rounded surface of the retainer. This may take place, for instance, with the rod 33, as the device was moving in a contra-clockwise direction, the tube occupying after a' further period of rotation the position occupied by the tube 33", having fallen from the finger to the position shown at 33", to be thereupon further carried around into the successive positions shown. This dropping of the tubes 33 is very important in that'it jars them and thus throws off any collections of. gas such as hydrogen that may have been formed thereon, and which would be objectionable during the plating or other processes to which the tube is being subjected.

From 'what has been thus far described, it is thought the nature of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled-in the art. v

It will also be clear that the invention is susceptible of many and various modifications without departing from its spirit.

Having however thus described one form which my invention may take, what I claim as new and desire to secu re by Letters Patent is: 1

1. A machine of the'character described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube carrier adapted to be inserted successively into said tanks, means whereby said tube carrier is tilted when mounted in a tank, and means for tilting said tube carrier in the, opposite direction when transferring the same from one tank to the next. v 2. A machine of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks, and a tube carrier adapted to be successively inserted into said tanks, said tube carrier including a rotatable shaft, and a plurality of independ ent tube holders loosely carried thereby and rotated by said shaft, said tube holders each having means for independently supporting each of aplurality of tubes.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube carrier adapted to be successively inserted into said tanks, said tube carrier including a rotatable shaft, a rotatable framework including a plurality of independent tube holders loosely carried thereby and rotated by said shaft, a pinion carried by "said shaft, and an annular gear carried by said framework, said tube holders each having means for independently supporting each of a plurality of tubes. v

4. A machine of the character'described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube carrier adapted to be successively inserted into said tanks, said tube carrier including a rotatable shaft, a rotatable framework loosely carried thereby and rotated by said shaft, a pinion carried by said shaft, an annular gear carried-by said framework, and tube supporting devices forming a fixed part of said rotatable framework.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube carrier adapted to be successively inserted into said tanks, said tube carrier including a rotatable shaft, a rotatable framework loosely carried thereby and rotated by said shaft, a pinion carried by said shaft, an annular gear carried by said framework, and tube supporting devices forming a fixed part of said rotatable framework, said tube supporting devices being insulated throughout the maj or portion of their exposed surfaces.

6. In a machine of the character described the combination with a plurality of tanks,

and a framework bodily removable from one tank to the next, said framework including two supporting devices having a plurality of substantially spiral shaped carrying fingers.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a plurality of ta 'iks, and a tube carrier adapted to be successively inserted into said tanks, said'tube carrier including a rotatable shaft, a rotatable framework loosely carried thereby and rotated by said shaft, means associated with some of said tanks for rotating said framework in a given directionof rotation, and means associated with another of said tanks for rotating said framework in the opposite direction.

8; A machine of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks, and a tube carrier adapted to be successively inserted into said tanks, said tube carrier including a rotatable shaft, a rotatable framework loosely carried thereby and rotated by said shaft, a pinion carried by said shaft, an annular gear carried by said framework, means associated with some of said tanks for rotating said framework in a given direction of rotation, and means associated with another 7 of said tanks for rotating said framework in the opposite direction.

9. A machine of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks, :1 tube carrier adapted to be successively inserted into said tanks, said tube carrier including a lo tatable shaft, a rotatable framework loosely ca ried thereby and rotated by said shaft, a pinion carried by said shaft, an annular gear carried by said framework, tube supporting a devices forming a fixed part of said rotatable framework, and means for rotating said framework in opposite directions.

10,. A machine of the character described. comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube can carried thereby and rotated by said shaft, a

pinion carried by said shaft, an annular gear carried by said framework, tube supporting devices forming a fixed part of said rotatable framework, said tube supporting de vices being insulated throughout the major portion of their exposed surfaces, and means for rotating said framework in opposite directions.

11. In a machine of the character described the rombination with a plurality of tanks, a framework bodily removable from one tank to the next, said framework including two supporting devices having a plurality of substantially spiral shaped carrying fingers, and means for rotating said framework in opposite directions.

12. In a device of the character described the combination with a plurality of tanks, a tube device adapted for insertion successively into said tanks, means associated with one tank for rotating said device in a given 7 direction, and means associated with another tank for rotating said device in the opposite direction.

13. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube carrier adapted for successive insertion into said tanks, and means associated with said tanks for rotating said tube carrier.

14. A plating device comprising a tank, and a movable tube carrier, said. tube carrier having means to permit said tubes to fall a short distance to thereby remove bubbles of gas or otherforeign substances formed on said tubes.

15. A machine 'ofthe character described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube carrier adapted to be inserted successively into said tanks, and means whereby said tube carrier is tilted when mounted in a tank.

16. A machine of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube car'- rier adapted to be inserted successively into, said tanks, means whereby said tube carrier is tilted when mounted in a tank, and means for confining the longitudinal movement of said tubes.

17. A device of the character-described comprising a plurality of tanks, a tube carrier adapted for successive insertion into said tanks, means associated with a plurality of tanks for rotating said tube carrier in a given direction, and means associated with another tank for rotating said carrier in the opposite direction to thereby tubes carried thereon.

18. In a machine of the character dedischarge the scribed the combination with a tanlt, and. a framework bodily removable and insertible 'in said tank, 'sa-id framework including two supporting devices having a plurality of Substantially spiral shaped carrying fingers adapted to retain the work thereon through- 4 out a complete revolution when moved in a given dlrectlon 'of rotatlon.

19. In a plating machine a tube carrier having means adapted with a given direction of rotation to retain tubes placed thereon,

and with the opposite direction ofrotatior to discharge said tubes.

placed thereon, and with the opposite direction of rotation to discharge said tubes.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 20 my name this 11th day of July, A. D. 1913. LOUIS SCHULTE Witnesses:

OT'ro VERMICII, JOHN J. Sormynn. 

